Charles Leclerc cried during last laps of Monaco GP before giving himself X-rated pep talk
Charles Leclerc's home race curse came to an emotional end last weekend as he won the Monaco Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc revealed that he had tears in his eyes during the closing stages of the Monaco Grand Prix. The home hero was forced to give himself a frank reality check to keep his cool as he stayed out of the barriers and delivered his first-ever win around the streets of Monte Carlo.
The Monegasque driver delivered on Ferrari’s pace in free practice to pip McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to the pole position on Saturday. From there, he managed the race to perfection, turning in a faultless performance as he sauntered to a maiden home race victory.
Explaining the emotions he felt during the closing stages of the race, he said: “I realised actually two laps to the end that I was struggling to see out of the tunnel just because I had tears in my eyes.
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“I was like ‘F***, Charles, you can’t do that now. You still have two laps to finish.’ I have to say that I was thinking to my dad a lot more. Monaco is the Grand Prix that made me dream of becoming a Formula One driver.
“I remember being so young and watching the race with my friends, obviously with my father, that has done absolutely everything for me to get to where I am today, and I feel like I don't only accomplish a dream of mine today, but also one of his."
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Leclerc’s victory on Sunday was an emotional one on many levels. Most notably, it was his first win at his home event after two instances of heartbreak. Typically, when a driver secures pole position, there is an outburst of passion and delight, but for Leclerc on Saturday, the achievement came loaded with pressure.
The 26-year-old had already been on pole in Monaco on two previous occasions, and neither resulted in a trip to the podium, let alone victory. In 2021, he crashed on his final qualifying lap. The ensuing red flag sealed his spot at the point for the race the following day, but when the cars fired up, the damage he suffered meant he couldn’t take the green flag.
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Leclerc’s anguish was doubled the following year. Ferrari locked out the front row for the 2022 Monaco GP and seemingly had the race under control, but a strategy blunder relegated the home hero to P4 and left him incensed in the cockpit.
An underwhelming race followed in 2023, but 2024 brought redemption as Leclerc finally tasted the champagne from the top step of the podium in front of his adoring home crowd. With that triumph, he moves within 31 points of championship leader Max Verstappen at the top of the standings.
